A photoelectric switch device for detecting an object within a field of detection on the basis of a position of the object is presented. The position is determined on the basis of a value relating to light that is reflected by the object. The photoelectric switch device has a light projecting and receiving optical arrangement disposed on a front wall of a box shaped casing, a display unit and a push type of adjusting switch disposed on a rear wall of the box shaped casing. The photoelectric switch device also has a push type of selecting fixing setting switch and an indicator disposed on one of walls of the box shaped casing, except the front and rear walls, and an output cable extending from a corner between the rear wall and another wall opposite to the one wall. The selecting fixing setting switch is used to select types of information that is to be displayed on the display unit in order to set and fix the value. The adjusting switch is used to adjust the value of information displayed on the display unit.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A photoelectric switch device for detecting a presence or an absence of an object in a specified field of detection, which has at least a photoelectric means for receiving light from the field of detection and generating an electric signal of a level representing an amount of light received thereby and processing means for processing the electric signal from said photoelectric means, for making a determination of the presence or the absence of the object in the field of detection on the basis of a comparison of the level of the electric signal from said photoelectric means with a specified threshold and providing an electric signal representing a result of the determination, said photoelectric switch device comprising: a generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing defined by a plurality of walls in which said photoelectric means and said processing means are installed; optical means disposed on a front wall of said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing for directing light from the field of detection to said photoelectric means; display means disposed on a rear wall of said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing opposite to said front wall and operatively connected to said processing means for providing a display of at least one of the specified threshold and the level of the electronic signal from said photoelectric means; adjusting means disposed on said rear wall and operatively connected to said processing means for selecting one of the specified threshold arid the level of the electronic signal from said photoelectric means to be displayed on said display means and adjusting the specified threshold while the specified threshold is displayed on said display means; and detection result indicator means disposed between said rear wall and a top wall of said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing connecting said top wall and said rear wall to each other and operatively connected to said processing means for indicating the result of the determination.
2. A photoelectric switch device as defined in claim 1 , wherein said adjusting means changes a display on the display means to the specific threshold from the level of said electronic signal from said photoelectric means upon first operation of said adjusting means and makes a change in the specific threshold upon operation of said adjusting means subsequent to the first operation within a specified period of operation.
3. A photoelectric switch device as defined in claim 1 , wherein said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing has an inclined corner wall between said rear wall and said top wall on which said detection result indicator means is disposed.
4. A photoelectric switch device as defined in claim 1 , further comprising detection stability indicator means disposed between said rear wall and a top wall of said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing connecting said front wall and said rear wall to each other and operatively connected to said processing means for indicating stability of the determination.
5. A photoelectric switch device as defined in claim 4 , wherein said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing has an inclined corner wall between said rear wall and said top wall on which said detection result indicator means and said detection stability indicator means are disposed.
6. A photoelectric switch device as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a cable connected to said processing means and extending out from said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing between said rear wall and a bottom wall of said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing connecting said front and rear walls to each other for providing power to said sensor and signals including the electric signal representing the result of the determination at least from said switch.
7. A photoelectric switch device as defined in claim 6 , wherein said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing has an inclined corner wall between said rear wall and said bottom wall through which said cable extends out from said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing.
8. A photoelectric switch device as defined in claim 1 , wherein said adjusting means automatically selects the level of the electric signal from said photoelectric means for a display on said display means when said adjusting means remains unoperated for a specified period of time.
9. A photoelectric switch device as defined in claim 8 , wherein said adjusting means changes a display on said display means to the specific threshold from the level of the electronic signal from said photoelectric means upon first operation of said adjusting means and makes a change on the specific threshold upon operation of said adjusting means subsequent to the first operation.
10. A photoelectric switch device as defined in claim 1 , wherein the detection of an object is performed with a triangulation method.
11. A photoelectric switch device as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a light emitting means for emitting light toward the object, said light emitting means being disposed on said front wall of said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing.
12. A photoelectric switch device for detecting a presence or an absence of an object in a specified field of detection, which has at least a photoelectric means for receiving light from the field of detection and generating an electric signal of a level representing an amount of light received thereby and processing means for processing the electric signal from said photoelectric means, for making a determination of the presence or the absence of the object in the field of detection on the basis of a comparison of the level of the electric signal from said photoelectric means with a specified threshold and providing an electric signal representing a result of the determination, said photoelectric switch device comprising: a generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing defined by a plurality of walls in which said photoelectric means and said processing means are installed; optical means disposed on a front wall of said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing for directing light from the field of detection to said photoelectric means; display means disposed on a rear wall of said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing opposite to said front wall and operatively connected to said processing means for providing a display of at least one of the specified threshold and the level of the electronic signal from said photoelectric means; adjusting means disposed on said rear wall and operatively connected to said processing means for selecting one of the specified threshold and the level of the electronic signal from said photoelectric means to be displayed on said display means and adjusting the specified threshold while the specified threshold is displayed on said display means; and means for indicating a detection result disposed on said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing adjacent to a top wall and said rear wall and said means for indicating the detection result being operatively connected to said processing means for indicating the result of the determination.
13. A photoelectric switch device for detecting a presence or an absence of an object in a specified field of detection, which has at least a photoelectric means for receiving light from the field of detection and generating an electric signal of a level representing an amount of light received thereby and processing means for processing the electric signal from said photoelectric means, for making a determination of the presence or the absence of the object in the field of detection on the basis of a comparison of the level of the electric signal from said photoelectric means with a specified threshold and providing an electric signal representing a result of the determination, said photoelectric switch device comprising: a generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing defined by a plurality of walls in which said photoelectric means and said processing means are installed; optical means disposed on a front wall of said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing for directing light from the field of detection to said photoelectric means; display means disposed on a rear wall of said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing opposite to said front wall and operatively connected to said processing means for providing a display of at least one of the specified threshold and the level of the electronic signal from said photoelectric means; adjusting means disposed on said rear wall and operatively connected to said processing means for selecting one of the specified threshold and the level of the electronic signal from said photoelectric means to be displayed on said display means and adjusting the specified threshold while the specified threshold is displayed on said display means; and means for indicating a detection result disposed on said generally rectangular-parallelepiped box casing in a location substantially between a top wall and said rear wall and said means for indicating the detection result being operatively connected to said processing means for indicating the result of the determination.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
August 9, 2000
November 4, 2003
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